Miller, Ruth

Ruth (DeBey) Miller was an influential newspaper publisher and editor in Downs, Kansas, for 32 years, and she worked in the weekly newspaper business for an impressive 46 years. Ruth’s love for her hometown of Downs prompted her to devote a huge amount of time and resources to community service, and she was a leader in every sense of the word.

Ruth was born in 1933 at Dispatch, Kansas, and attended Green Ridge rural school northwest of Downs before transferring to the public school in Downs. She attended Downs High School but dropped out her senior year to join her new husband, Darrel Miller, in Germany after he was drafted during the Korean War. While Darrel worked at the Stars & Stripes daily newspaper in Darmstadt, Germany, Ruth earned her high school GED through mail-in courses.

Upon returning to the United States, Darrel earned a journalism degree at Kansas State University through the GI Bill. After graduating, he worked at three daily newspapers and was studying for a master’s degree at Michigan State University when he received a call that the weekly Downs News & Times was for sale. The dream of owning and publishing their own newspaper brought the couple home to Downs in 1958, followed by the purchase of the Lebanon Times in 1967.

From 1968 to 1972, Ruth and Darrel leased the newspapers and moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Darrel worked at the Oklahoma State University news bureau. While in Oklahoma, Ruth managed the Perkins Journal, which won the sweepstakes award as the best newspaper in its circulation class.

After moving back to Downs, they purchased the Smith County Pioneer newspaper in 1973 and the Cawker City Ledger in 1979.  Darrel focused his attention on the larger Smith County Pioneer, while Ruth became the managing editor of the Downs, Cawker City, and Lebanon newspapers for more than 32 years until retiring in 2004.

Growing their newspapers was demanding and challenging work. Darrel and Ruth were among the very first to convert from letterpress to offset printing in the 1960s, and as technology changed and improved, they adapted along with it. They won many awards for newspapering during their career.

Ruth’s passion for flowers led her to launch three flower shops in three different towns, all while writing, editing, and publishing three newspapers. She also tirelessly sold ads and was often seen on Main Street visiting local businesses.

Ruth strongly believed in community service and poured her energies into serving on committees of the Downs Chamber of Commerce, the Downs Historical Society, and the United Methodist Church. Her love of flowers prompted her to create and maintain beautiful gardens in Downs along with the establishment of a charming gazebo in Railroad Park.

She was actively involved in restoring the Downs railroad depot with members of the Downs Historical Society. In 2003, Ruth received the Kansas Press Association’s Boyd Community Service Award. In addition, Ruth and Darrel were inducted into the Osborne County Hall of Fame in 2005.

Ruth and Darrel had three children and seven grandchildren. After a long life of service to her readers and her community, Ruth passed away on February 2, 2013.